Railway-rail joint.



Patented Oct. 2|, 1902.

. WEVEB.

No. 7|l,687.

LA FAYETTE RAILWAY RAJ lic'ation filed UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LA FAYETTE T. WHEVER, OF ARRAN,'FLQRIDA, ASSIGNOR 'ToJoHNMIToHnL ANDREWS, on ARRAN, FLORIDA, AND CHARLES M. AUSLEY, on TALLA- HASSEE, FLORIDA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,687, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed April 18, 1902. Serial No- 103,598. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE T. WEVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arran, in the county of Wakulla and State of Florida, haveinvented anew and useful Railway-Rail Joint, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to railway-rail joints, and has for its object the production of a means for uniting the adjacent ends of railway-rails in a more secure manner and with fewer parts, and consequently at a less expense, and which will also give greater strength to the joint and effectually prevent all creeping or longitudinal movement.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line so a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. lis aperspective view of one of the clamp-plates detached.

The contiguous rail ends are indicated at 10 and 11 and the ties at 12, of theusual form. V

The joint Will generally be long enough to bridge three ties, as shown; but may be modified to embrace two ties only, if preferred.

The improved joint consists of two plates 1314, disposed on opposite sides of the rail and formed to engage the verticalweb on opposite sides next to the head by their upper edges 15' and 16. and having inwardlyextending lower portions 17 and 18, embracing the under side of the lower flange of the rail, as shown in Fig. 3. The plates 13 and 14: therefore do not contact with the rail between their upper edges 15 and l6rand the outer edges of the lower flange of the rail, as shown. in Figs. 2 and 3. At their ends the plates 13 and 14 are supported by chairs 19, with upwardly-extending ribs or flanges 21 22, the flanges being slightly undercut or dovetailed and engaging the correspondingly inclined outer edges of the plates outside the ribs l7 18. The ribs 17 and 18 do not extend the full length of the plates,[but only between the chairs 19, so-

that the ends of the ribs form shoulders to limit the inward movement of the chairs. Perforations for the spikes 23 will be formed in the chairs and alined recesses will be formed to receive the upper, parts of the spikes,'as shown, the spikes thus not only firmly securing the chairs to the ties, but also binding the rails and chairs together and preventing horizontal movement between them. When the joint is arranged to bridge three ties, intermediate ears 24L will be formed'on the plates 13 14 and provided withrecesses for spikes, so that the plates may besecured to the central tie. By this arrangement the downward pressure upon the plates 13 and 14 will cause their lower ends to be distended against the ribs 21 22 of the chairs 19, which force will cause the upper ends 15 and 16 to'be forced inward in engagement with opposite sides of the web offthe rail, and the'stronger the downward force the greater will'be the grip imparted to the rail. The ribs 2l 22 being incli'nedinward, as shownin Fig. 2, the plates are firmly'lield from any upward movement. The chairs will be constructed to engage the rails andplates closely, so that considerable force will be required to drive them home against ithe shoulders formed by the ends of the webs 17 and 18, so that any tendency to work loose or. rattle will be counteracted. The ribs 17 and 18 serve a twofold purpose -first, as spreaders tokeep the chairs in'theiriproper place, and, second, as supports to the lower flange of the rail and also asa support tothe joint; from beneath. By this arrangement all the parts are firmly joined together and held in place without the necessity for transversebolts through the plates and rails, and all strains to which the joint is subjected-willloi'nd them more vfirmly together, and the greater the strain the more firmly they will be gripped. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In arailway-railjoint,two abutting rails, plates disposed upon opposite sides of said rails, chairs supporting the opposite ends of said plates and having inwardly-inclined ribs engaging the lower correspondingly-inclined edges of said plates, the ties supporting said chairs, apertures for the spikes through said chairs, opposing recesses in said inclined ribs and in the adjacent edges of said plates and registering with said apertures,whereby the holding-spikes'are adapted to lock the parts together, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-rail joint,two abutting rails, plates disposed upon opposite sides of said rails, chairs independently supporting the opposite ends of said plates and having inwardly-inclined opposing ribs engaging the lower correspondingly-inchned edges of said plates, said plates having inwardly-extended ribs between and abutting upon said chairs engaging the lower surfaces of the lower flanges of the rails and engaging the head of the rail at opposite sides of thevertical webs by their upper edges, substantially as described.

In a railway-rail joint,two abutting rails,

plates disposed upon opposite sides of said rails, chairs independently supporting the opposite ends of said plates andhaving inwardly-inclined opposing ribs engaging the lower correspondingly-inclined edges of said plates, the ties supporting said chairs, apertures for the spikes through said chairs, opposing recesses in said inclined ribs and the adjacent edges of said plates and registering with said apertures, whereby the holdingspikes are adapted to lock the parts together, inwardly-extending ribs upon said plates between said chairs and engaging the lower surfaces of the lower flanges of said rails, said plates engaging the heads of said rails on opposite sides of the vertical webs, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim. the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LA FAYETTE T. WEVER.

Witnesses:

FRANK DUVAL, J12, F. W. DUVAL. 

